This invention relates to handle supports; and more particularly relates to a novel and improved carrying handle which can be releasably secured to the upper neck portion of large bottles or containers for the purpose of carrying same in a reliable and efficient manner.
Water coolers typically employ five-gallon containers of the type having an upper neck portion with an external shoulder at the entrance. A bottle cap is releasably but securely placed over the entrance to seal off the contents when the container is being stored. It has been proposed in the past to employ releasable handles which can be slipped into engagement with the upper neck portion to facilitate lifting and carrying of the containers and, for example, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,155,263 to W. E. Hidding and 4,579,237 to P. L. Gagnon. Hidding discloses a flexible handle which is broadly comprised of a continuous band which encircles the neck portion and a flexible handle secured in surrounding relation to the band with a hand grip which normally projects away from the neck portion in a horizontal direction but when grasped can be raised into a substantially vertical portion when the bottle is lifted. Gagnon in turn is directed to the combination of a specially designed bottle cap and a one-piece handle having a cradle portion to releasably engage the cap and a vertically directed, hand grip which can be grasped by the user or carrier.
It is proposed to improve bottle carriers of the type described by providing a lower rigid cradle portion which is conformable for use on different neck as well as bottle cap configurations and a rigid handle portion which is foldably connected to the cradle portion in such a way as to be movable into a compact position overlying the cradle when not in use and easily raised into a substantially vertical position extending upwardly from the cradle to afford optimum balance in lifting and carrying the container.